The left and right eyes are separated from one another by a distance. As a result of this separation, each a persons left and right eyes will perceive a slightly different image of the environment based on the individual eye location. Differences between the left and right eye images are then interpreted by the person viewing a scene as providing depth information with the human perceiving a 3 dimensional (3D) image rather than two separate 2D images.
As 3D movies and other programs have grown in popularity, there is a growing desire for camera hardware and apparatus which can support capture of images that are suitable for use in generating 3D content, e.g., videos that may be used as part of a movie, advertisement, program, or even for viewing of an event in real or near real time.
Most camera rigs are intended to support capture of a single image. As the need for capturing stereoscopic image data, e.g., pairs of images which can be used as left and right eye images grows, there is a need for improved camera related apparatus which can be used to facilitate the capture of pairs of left and right eye images.
Camera alignment can be an important for useful capture of stereoscopic image data, e.g., pairs of left and right eye images. Such alignment issues are not present in non-stereo systems where a single camera is used to capture non-stereo image data.
While stereoscopic image capture in a single direction can be difficult using existing equipment, it may be desirable to capture stereoscopic images in multiple directions to facilitate simulation of a environment in which a user may move, e.g., rotate, his or her head 360 degrees with the expectation of being able to see an image of the environment in all 360 degree directions.
When attempting to capture images covering a 360 degree area, which are to be used in simulating an environment that might be viewed when a user rotates his/her head, it is important that the capture images correspond reasonably to what a user would view if he was in the actual environment and rotated his/her head.
When capture of stereoscopic images corresponding to a 360 degree area is desired, the complexity with camera alignment and positioning is greatly complicated since stereoscopic images need to be captured in a manner that allows them to be stitched together since a single camera can not capture the full 360 degree field of view.
In addition to alignment issues it is desirable, for at least some applications that a camera rig be relatively small and portable so that it can be taken to event locations and used to capture images of an event where a larger fixed or tracked camera rig might not be able to fit. For example, in the case of many events it would be desirable to be able to place a camera rig at a position where an audience member or sports fan might normally sit to give a view a sense of being in the audience at the event.
Existing camera rigs and apparatus do not address many of the needs associated with capturing stereoscopic images whether that be in a single direction or in multiple directions.
In view of the above discussion it should be appreciated that there is a need for improvised camera related methods and apparatus. It would be desirable if at least some of the methods and/or apparatus addressed one or more of the above discussed problems with respect to capturing stereoscopic images such as facilitating camera alignment, camera rig size, camera rig portability and/or facilitating capture of stereoscopic image pairs corresponding to multiple different directions.